Happy New Year at Hill Country

Here's a tip.....

Today only.....

Hill Country Buys You Beer

Consider this a challenge: for every pound of meat you buy, this Flatiron barbecue joint will spot you a beer. After this ode to your machismo, we know you'll be ready and thankful for Hill Country's next offer, which is obviously champagne-

411:	Hill Country, 30 W. 26th St (near 6th Ave), 212-255-4544

Wordless Wednesday: Competition Pulled Pork

English as a Second Language

Entrance to the Q train at Avenue U
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Merry Christmas!

A very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all!

BBQ Recipes: Prime Rib

Here's a great link to a recipe and video on how to prepare Prime Rib on our grill for your Christmas dinner. Take a look over at Fire Cooker. Dr. BBQ walks you through making the beautiful roast pictured on the right. It couldn't be simpler.

Want more prime rib recipes? Well they can be found here at WhiteTrash BBQ. Just follow the links.

• Best Prime Rib - Oven Version.
• Best Prime Rib - Smoker Version.
  
• Phil Rizzardi of the BBQ Brethren's Prime Rib.
  
• Grill Roasted Prime Rib.

Don't care to cook it yourself? Check out Fiorella's Jack Stack BBQ. They'll send you out a perfectly cooked Prime Rib Roast with all the sides for only $149.95 plus tax and shipping.

Happy Eating Folks!

Wordless Wednesday

Weird Food?

Yesterday I was describing a dinner that I made to a friend of mine. It was a simple dinner, nothing fancy, but it's not something I make on a regular or even an infrequent basis. This meal was something I haven't made in a few years, but with the cold weather it fit the bill perfectly. It certainly isn't something totally unheard of, and for a while in the early 90's it was all the rage where I worked in Northern New Jersey. Versions of it had been hitting the blogs recently and they made me want to rediscover this old classic.

I told her what I made and her response was. "You always make such weird food." Weird food? C'mon. I do like to mix it up, but I don't think my food is weird.

So what was it? What was this weird concoction? Potato-Cheese soup accompanied by sour dough bread. This was a satisfying meal but so unremarkable that I didn't even consider taking pictures. To me, this dish is just plain ol' home cooking.

So you tell me - Do I always make such weird food?

A PETA Free Zone: Hats of Meat

I don't usually recommend websites, at least I haven't in a while, but here's one that has me laughing this holiday season - Hats of Meat - Check it out!

Grilling Recipes: Filet Mignon Crostini with Balsamic Onion Jam

Filet Mignon Crostini with Balsamic Onion Jam
Recipe by Jamie Purviance for Weber

Serves: 10 to 12
Prep time: 20 minutes, plus about 45 minutes for the jam
Grilling time: 13 to 16 minutes

Jam
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 large sweet yellow onions, about 12 ounces each, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar (not aged)
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup dried currants or raisins

Crostini
1 baguette, cut into 25 slices, each about 1/2 inch thick
Extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled

3 filet mignon steaks, each about 8 ounces and 1-1/2 inches thick
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Cream
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup prepared horseradish
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 bunch fresh chives (optional)

1. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, warm the butter and olive oil. Add the onions and salt. Cook until they become translucent and have reduced in volume by half, about 10 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent burning. Stir in the vinegar, sugar, and currants. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the onions become jam-like and most of the liquid has evaporated, about 35 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature. The jam will thicken as it cools.

2. Prepare the grill for direct cooking over medium heat (350° to 450°F).

3. Lightly brush one side of the baguette slices with oil and grill them over direct medium heat until toasted, 1 to 2 minutes (grill one side only). Allow to cool, and then rub the grilled sides lightly with the garlic.

4. Lightly brush the steaks with the oil and season with the salt and pepper. Allow to stand at room temperature for 15 to 30 minutes before grilling.

5. In a small bowl combine the cream ingredients. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

6. Grill the steaks over direct medium heat, with the lid closed as much as possible, until cooked to your desired doneness, 12 to 14 minutes for medium rare, turning once or twice (if flare-ups occur, move the steaks temporarily over indirect heat). Remove the steaks from the grill and let rest for 3 to 5 minutes. Cut the steaks into 1/4-inch slices.

7. Spread a layer of jam on each piece of toasted baguette (crostini). Place a slice of meat on the jam and top with a small dollop of the horseradish cream. Sprinkle with chopped fresh chives, if desired

3 Stupid Things

I did 3 stupid things the other night for which I am still feeling repercussions...

1. I went to a barbecue place that is well past its prime.
2. I went to said barbecue place 20 minutes before it closed.
3. I ordered spare ribs at said barbecue place.

I don't know what made me do this. You should never order an item that takes 5 or more hours to cook when the restaurant is about to close. The ribs I got were disgusting; two days later I'm still tasting them. I should know better.

Wordless Wednesday - The Holding Pit at RUB

Dr. BBQ

Dr. BBQ is no longer affiliated with NYC's Southern Hospitality. I'm not breaking any news here as this has been widely reported by other sites such as the ever informative Pigtrip. From all accounts the break was amicable and expected. But, it's a loss for the New York barbecue and restaurant community.

Dr. BBQ was brought into Southern Hospitality to turn it around. Before his arrival SH was known to serve some pretty mediocre Que. The good doctor arrived and really raised the bar. When the doctor was in the house, there were some good eats.

It seems it's just the nature of the restaurant business; at least where barbecue is concerned in New York. Matt Fisher was brought in to Wildwood to work his magic, Robbie Richter at Hill Country, Greg Barry at Ruby's Famous, I could go on forever. It seems to this layman that the owners bring in the expert pitmasters, learn what they can and let the restaurant establish a credible barbecue reputation and then throws them out on the street. But I don't know definitively if that's the case. Some of these departures may have been by mutual arrangement, but to me, it certainly seems like a trend.

Unfortunately, the Que immediately begins to suffer. Now I haven't been to Southern Hospitality since the Dr's departure, so I can't definitively state that it's the case here, but I'm willing to bet dollars to doughnuts that it will. Too often the restaurateur thinks that barbecue is just another style of food that can be mass produced. It's simply not the case. The only barbecue restaurants that thrive are the restaurants with a pitmaster and owner who share a passion for barbeque!

Go spend some time at RUB - talk to Andrew Fischel, or the aforementioned Matt Fisher or Scott Smith; go to Hill Country and shoot the breeze with Pete Daversa; or if you can find him, chat with Andrew Perry Lang at Daisy May's; or if you're uptown speak with John Stage at Dinosaur; like Dr. BBQ, these guys share the passion of the flames and you can taste it in their food.

I don't know where Doctor BBQ will turn up next, but I hope he's back in New York soon.

Happy Hanukkah!

Jewish Angels lead mitzvah crusade to provide free holiday cheer for Hanukkah across New York City and Long Island

Martin Silver, President of Agave99 Tequila is announcing Today Friday, December 11, 2009 at 11:30 am a mitzvah crusade to provide free Holiday cheer for all eight nights of Hanukkah. He has hired the nations first Kosher shot girls to go out to hundreds of restaurants, bars and night clubs through out the City of New York and Long Island. The eight sexy kosher angels dressed in mini skirts, high heels and 100 percent kosher tank tops will be healing the stress and worries of this years tough economy. They will handing out free kosher tequila shots and singing hava-tequila. The Mitzvah crusade will start on the first night of Chanukah.

Agave99 is one of the most full bodied tequilas in the world. Some other place they will be are Solo, 49 Grove, Suzzy Wongs Night Club, Home Sweet Home, Bowery Electric, Hurleys, O'Caseys, XS Night Club and more.

Here's the RUB - Christmas Gifts For Under $10

Here's some recommendations for some more cheap Christmas presents. Everything on this list is under $10 and available on line.

This time it's RUBs. What's a RUB you ask? Well there's dry rubs and there's wet rubs, but all a rub is is, a spice mixture that is placed on the outside of your meat prior to smoking, grilling, or roasting.

Today I recommend a few of them for your perusal and approval. They're in no particular order as I love all of them and they all have different uses and flavor profiles. Hell, if you can afford it, buy them all! They make great stocking stuffers.

First up is Plowboy's BBQ Yardbird RUB. This RUB was developed for competition, this award winning rub has a balance of sweet and salty with just a little kick. Works well on seafood, pork, but it really shines on chicken.

Next is a rub I discovered on my many trips to the Texas Hill Country; Rudy's Country Store and Bar-B-Que's Rudy's Regular Rub. Now this rub is a true Texas style rub, primarily salt, pepper and paprika. It's got a nice kick, but nothing this Yankee can't handle. This rub works best of beef, but also shines on pork. Rudy's was my first bbq experience in Austin, Texas and their rubs will always have a place on my spice rack.

Next up is SuckleBusters Competition BBQ Rub. This Rub is made for the competitive cook. This award winning formula is excellent on beef briskets. It has a sweet and savory flavor with an excellent aroma. The rub is mild but flavorful and can be used alone or combined with other ingredients for a more robust flavor profile. The recipe was designed by competition cooks, for competition cooks and has already already won multiple GC and RGC awards at BBQ contests.

And one last recommendation, a sampler pack of rubs from Fred's Music and BBQ. The sampler pack of Tasty Lick's BBQ Company includes one bag of each flavor - approximately 3 tablespoons of rub per bag - Flavors included are: Savory Poultry, Smokin Guitar Player's Original Rub, Mella Yella, Ribit Rib Rub, Redeye Redmeat Rub, Acapulco God, Dixieland Dust, Tree Hugger and Flyin' Swine. I like just about all of these and the folks over at Fred's Music and BBQ are some fine folks.

Nuff said.

Christmas Gifts Under $20

He knows if you've been bad or good....

Ever want to give someone coal for Christmas? Well now's your chance. CoalGram.com, is a site devoted to delivering real-life blocks of coal to anyone who dared cross you this year.

For only $10 you could send that not so loved one a little lump of coal. Coal Gram will attach a note stating whatever you like. Let your "friend" know that the coal came from you and bring on the battle, or better yet, send it anonymously and let them try and figure out who hates them and why. Now that could make some interesting by the fire Christmas morning discussions!


Go to the site and pick one of three packages—the Original (which comes in a box), Snowman Pouch (which comes with a snowman) and the Stocking Surprise (which comes in a stocking and is shown above)

Go ahead. I know there's someone out there that deserves coal in his stocking!

... so be good for goodness sake!

Wordless Wednesday

John Lennon

John Lennon
1940-1980

How can I go forward when I don't know which way I'm facing?
How can I go forward when I don't know which way to turn?
How can I go forward into something I'm not sure of?
Oh no, oh no

How can I have feeling when I don't know if it's a feeling?
How can I feel something if I just don't know how to feel?
How can I have feelings when my feelings have always been denied?
Oh no, oh no

You know life can be long
And you got to be so strong
And the world is so tough
Sometimes I feel I've had enough

How can I give love when I don't know what it is I'm giving?
How can I give love when I just don't know how to give?
How can I give love when love is something I ain't never had?
Oh no, oh no

You know life can be long
You've got to be so strong
And the world she is tough
Sometimes I feel I've had enough

How can we go forward when we don't know which way we're facing?
How can we go forward when we don't know which way to turn?
How can we go forward into something we're not sure of?
Oh no, oh no

Christmas Gifts Under $100

Every year I make some recommendations on Christmas/Chanukah gifts, but this year I'm keeping all my recommendations under $100. There's a recession on don't you know.

First up is one that barely scrapes under the limit; The Brinkmann 2 Burner Gas Grill. $99 at Home Depots everywhere.

Let me start out by saying that the fine folks at Home Depot sent me this grill way back in June to try out, so no I didn't buy it, but that does stop me from reviewing it fairly.

This grill is at the low end of the spectrum when it comes to gas grills. It's no frills and very small, but it works as advertised and I recommend it. This grill is perfect for a quick meal for a very small family or couple. It heats quickly and evenly and goes together in a snap.

One major design flaw, the grill can't be moved with the gas tank attached. Another flaw is that the middle grill section is not bolted to the legs and can be lifted off fairly easily even if you don't want to; mine came off when I tried to move it a couple of feet with the gas tank attached. There's no handle on the grill to facilitate moving it around. You should set it and forget it.

But, for the price you can't beat it. I may buy one for my parents. They already have a large Charbroil TEC Grill, but it's really too big for just two people. This little guy would suit them perfectly.

Wood in New York City

I don't know if I want to reveal this.

But it is Christmastime.

No, I want this to be my secret. It's hard enough to find in Brooklyn.

But if more people know about it, then more people will buy it and it'll be more likely that the store will continue to stock it.

Oh, alright. Here goes....

Eagle Provisions, 628 5th Ave Brooklyn NY 11215 718-499-0026, besides stocking one of the largest and most diverse beer selections in New York, is selling Wicked Good Charcoal and wood chunks and chips from The Woodman!

I picked up some cherry wood - 3lbs for $7.99. They also stock hickory, oak, apple, olive, alder, wine barrel staves, ash and many more. No more searching the tri-state area looking for wood. I've found my source, even if it is a tad expensive.

Now I need to go cook something!

Photos of Eagle Provisions courtesy of Erin Zimmer and Serious Eats New York

The Nine Classic American Barbecue Sauces

There's a great article about the nine classic American barbecue sauces over at The Huffington Post. Take a look here.